Annual Lecture & Awards Ceremony

Neil Jackson, the Charles Reilly Professor of Architecture at the University of Liverpool in London and the Society's new President, gave the Annual Lecture and looked at the influence which Japanese architecture has had on the West, and that of Western architecture upon Japan, over the last one hundred and fifty years. Following sakoku, Japan's self-enforced seclusion which had begun in the 1630s, the opening up of the country in the second half of the nineteenth century led to the rapid westernisation of many aspects of Japanese culture, not least its architecture. Meanwhile, in the West, Japan became suddenly fashionable and western architecture responded accordingly. In this lecture, Professor Jackson examined five examples of the architectural 'dialogue' between Japan and the West and offered, in conclusion, a meditation on the future of Western architecture.

A video of the event will be available shortly. For briefs on the awards, please see the SAHGB Awards page.